


End

by Farraway



Series: Hellspawn [1]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, Light Angst, demon!yukio, post!Anime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-20
Updated: 2014-07-20
Packaged: 2018-03-21 13:05:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3693353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Farraway/pseuds/Farraway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it. Even if it meant a very bad new beginning.</p><p>(...)</p><p>( Without looking back she darted - as fast as she could - to Rin and Yukio, hoping that both Okumura's are alive and well. )</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Thunder in the sky

**Author's Note:**

> Repost of my fic from FF. Read, like or review :)

A steady, quiet rumble sounded outside Old Male Dormitory situated in True Cross Academy. The sky was dark and weather only seemed to be getting worse with each passing minute.

On that particular chilly spring night, Rin Okumura slept silently, completely lost to the world; unknowing that his beauty time was going to be cut short pretty soon.

As it happened, young esquire mumbled something under his nose scratching at his exposed belly while another – much louder, closer rumble loomed outside. The storm was quickly approaching now. Not only few minutes later lock located in the boys room clicked and the door went ajar hurriedly. A tall, busty woman -badly battered- strode inside with fast, hard steps.

"Okumura..!" she snapped, breathing heavily. She seemed soaked though and through as few droplets were still sliding down her worn-out face. To add to the bizarreness of the situation, she was badly bruised and one could tell that she wasn't happy to wake an young esquire. However without a beat, she reached for a sleeping beauty and shook him up.

On the Rin's side, his heightened senses kicked in just then and his blue eyes flew open, hand reaching towards his Kurikara and ready to strike whomever the person was. Only by her pure, fast reflexes woman wasn't hit on the head by sword's handle.

"Shit, Rin-kun!" the woman snarled, stepping back and glaring towards young male. Through slightly ajar doors a flash came in and surrounded her silhouette. "Calm your tits, it's only me."

Rin now partially awake and still only barely aware of his surroundings, sighed tiredly before taking a look at his companion with a groan. "What are you doing here?" he asked, suddenly realising it's still middle of the night. "What the hell, Shura?!"

Woman -Shura- gnawed her teeth together and huffed. There was a visible cloud of damp anger around her, she clearly wasn't happy to be put in this situation. Ever. "It's not as if I had any choice in the matter, Okumura" she spoke calmly, huffing a bit – her chest moved erratically as if she was still out of breath.

Now glaring Rin could only snap back at his teacher-in-ranks. "Still, it's middle of the night... Yukio's not here, as if anything he should be with...-" At sudden realisation, he perked up, fist clutching his sword in hand. "Damnit, Shura! It's Yukio, isn't it? Something happened to him? Speak!" he demanded, swinging his legs from warm bed. Before Shura answered he stood up, hands clenched at his sides and eyes narrowing dangerously.

Upon that Shura gulped silently, nodding solemnly. "Just hurry, we don't have time to lose."

Her words were delicate, too delicate. Without a second thought, Rin sprang into action. Just barely minute later he's got his school pants, shirt and jacket on, all ready to go. He was putting his Kurikara on his back when Shura – silently – mentioned to him to move. Not before long they both walked through still open door.

The sensations that welcomed them outside were that of a raging thunderstorm. Big, wet drops splattered mercilessly instantly on the top of their heads, soaking them in a just few seconds. Almost ground breaking rumble boomed above them, a quick flash following it.

"What happened?" asked timidly Rin, who stood outside his once-dorm door. He kept his steady gaze on redhead woman while she fiddled with closing it. Only when the lock snapped into a place, she frowned. However even with a darkness surrounding them, he could see deep worry etched on her face.

"It's bad..."

Shura started then steadfastly ahead, head held high, her shoulders tense. There were a very visible bruises on her body – one quite large on her left thigh, going purplish already. All over she looked as if she went through hell and back. Her face was marred with scratches and few smaller bruises, dirty from sweat, rain and sand. Only then Rin understood the seriousness of the state she was in.

"How bad?" he prodded, however he kinda had an idea what's happened.

Shura snapped, fists clenching at sides. Dark cloud seemed to hide her face from the view, not that darkness of the night didn't already. "He lost it, Rin."

It was like a bucket of ice cold water. He shivered and stopped, staring at his companion's silhouette. She kept on walking unwavering, there was however a slight kink when her left leg touched a ground with every step. That was a clear sign of a pain, pain she hid from him.

"We can't get through" she continued, not bothered by his sudden halt in step. "We tried. I tried... It's just not enough."

Shura's words were quiet, way too quiet. In all months -a year really, now- he never heard her speak with such detached tone. It sounded wrong on his ears and this worried him greatly, so he finally took his cue and darted after her. With few fast, squelchy steps he reached her side. By now, he was frowning too, angrily but still.

They walked for a while in complete silence, both looking ahead, thinking. When it became too much for Rin and he turned his face towards his companion, she spoke slowly with bangs hiding her face from the world.

Nothing did scare him like what she said.

"There was a moment... Just for a second I thought... I thought... That it's not Yukio any more."

Suddenly the heavy rain that kept on pouring didn't seem so cold on his skin. Quite the contrary, it felt somehow soothing and alluring to him now because with that one statement he fell into the darkest corners of his mind.

A snippets of that time, from many months before filled his eyes. _The great blue flames, burning. His younger brother consumed by Satan. Yukio's plea... His smile and then... Shot. Red, red blood spilling from his wound._

Back on earth, Rin found himself staring at Shura with fresh tears burning his eyes, standing limply. That memories, they still burned and still hurt. Even after months of that event. The mixture of his emotions put him on a roller-coaster, he was furious, sad and afraid at the same time.

"What?" he finally snapped, his brows furrowed, his fang glistening in the storm. "You can't say that... that..." He couldn't say it. It couldn't be real. Shura bested him on it though.

"He's possessed by Satan?" There was a mirthless laugh on Shura's side and a very cold chill running down Rin's spine. "No, he's not in his butterfly-mode... Yet."

"How..?" he asked, heart plummeting in his ribcage. It just wasn't possible, was it? They destroyed the Gate, they kicked Satan's ass back to Gehenna. Then how..? "I don't understand" he snarled, still glaring at Shura. She shrugged it off, just like her a bit too long fringe.

"Don't get me wrong here, Okumura" she stated then with hard, cold voice she rarely used, glancing at him. "But you don't know a squat about the things me and scaredy-cat are up to most of the times. I personally think it's better that way, you are still mastering the control over your demonic side..."

Baring his teeth, with tail swinging angrily, Rin grabbed onto Shura's arm and stopped them, glaring at her. Hard. "What's that's supposed to mean? And what is that got to do with Yukio and Satan?!"

Shura barked back, tiredness finally clearly visible on her face. "Listen here... It was just a simple mission. Nothing much, just a clearing of bunch of a rogue demons on the loose" she spoke, almost shaking from anger. Her eyes seemed on fire from all the emotions that swirled in her. "We weren't aware that the Gate was open nearby..."

Rin's eyes went wide, face going slack.

"So as you see, it has everything to do with them. Because frankly only you can get through that brother's of yours thick skull and snap him out..." she thrown into his face, brows furrowed angrily. "I can't even get close to him... He's... gone."

"Don't" Rin warned, tightening his grip on her arm. "He's not. He's just... lost a bit. I'll get him back" he said but his voice betrayed him, being soft and wavering.

Shura smiled bitterly, noticing his slip. "Of course... you need to. You're his other half."

This time, he nodded and let go of her. "Exactly" he stated with fake confidence. "Besides, I saved him once before, didn't I?" he declared, his lips quivering. For once in his life his words sounded so gallantly false even on his own ears. Still, he needed to believe. However if the chance was that Yukio was too lost already... No, he couldn't think such things.

"Yes, that you did" Shura cut Rin's thoughts mid-way, with something akin to reminiscence in her eyes. "I'd really appreciate if you did it again, just so I can beat scaredy-cat's ass myself. Again."

At that Rin cracked a smile. He nodded, but he didn't really want a repeat of the past. "So let's go! Where is he?"

Shura sighed deeply, looking briefly towards sky and then mentioned towards it with a nod. Rin followed her gaze and his eyes widened at the white-ish hue in the horizon. He didn't spot it before, but it was way too bright to be it middle of the night. Another loud rumble cut through the silence, however rain seemed to loose on it's heaviness. In his mind's eye however everything seemed to be sketched in black-and-white, as if the view was torn straightly from artist's book.

After moment of contemplation Shura spoke, sighing tiredly but pointing with her thumb ahead nonetheless.

"Over there, we need to move."

With that she -even in her battered shape- ran ahead into darkness, towards the light in the sky. Dumbfounded a bit, Rn could only shout after her fast moving figure.

"Hey, wait! Wait!"

At first, there was nothing but darkness, hollowness of the place he ran through. All that reached his ears were the sounds of their steps and steady pour of the rain around them. Then there were little things like a quivers of the leafs on the wind, a crack of the tree branch above his head, a squeak of a squirrel darting away in scare.

The place they were in, he couldn't recognize. It still didn't change the fact that he easily reached Shura's side in no time, running along with her through thickness of the woods.

After few long moments, a bright flash and loud crash, there was a visible brightening of the vision before their eyes. They were closing in to the place now. Just as Rin haphazardly tried to jump ahead into clearing he saw they were approaching, Shura grabbed at his black jacket, tugging him to a stop with silent eyes.

"What-?" he asked, demanding answer.

"The Gate is still open" Shura commented, her eyes darting around and then stopping to the west of their position. "We need to close it..."

Rin shrugged her hand off himself. "First we need to get through to Yukio. I won't close his soul in Gehenna nor I want Satan roaming the streets wearing him like some weird onesie."

Shura pondered his words in silence. Single rain drop splattered on her nose and she blinked. "We're screwed..."

That stunned Rin and he retailed instantly, all fired up and ready to take out his sword. "There's two of us, don't be stupid" he snapped, his demonic tail swinging. "I'll go for Yukio, you take care of the Gate, easy."

Upon hearing that Shura almost laughed. Almost. "It's not that easy. How I am supposed to know that you actually managed to bring scaredy-cat back in time?"

Rin blanched, suddenly feeling self-aware of his idea. "Well... Uhm... Ugh..."

Shaking her head tiredly Shura sighed. "We'll give each other ten minutes then. I hope you'll manage in time, because I ain't stopping in closing the Gate."

Rin did what he only could do, he nodded solemnly. "Good, ten minutes is a lot of time. I'll reach him in five."

Shura's eyes hardened at that. "He knocked out our whole team, almost got me" she stated sultry. As a response she got a full-view of a dark tail with a fluff at the end.

"But now, I'm here. I'll bring him back..." Rin smiled confidently, reaching for his sword. Once he had it in his hand, he sobered. "Also I have this, I think I'll be able to stop his flames with it."

"Are you serious?" asked Shura, befuddled.

"Yeah."

"This is the stupidest idea I've ever heard" she concluded, bewildered. "Even coming from you."

"Oy!"

Then she sighed, they didn't had any other way but to try. They could at least give it a shot, what was the worst that could happen, right? "Okay then, Okumura. We'll roll with it."

Rin's face split into a smile. "R-really?" he asked excited, his tail flailing about. One could think it was first time anybody agreed with him on something.

"Yes" she added, wincing a bit. Her left hand reached towards her thigh. "We don't have any other ideas how to put out Yukio's flames anyway."

"Great, let's go then!"

Upon hearing Rin's chippier tone, Shura reached for him but it was a futile thing to do as he wasn't there any more. Growling a bit under breath, she clasped her hands upon her bosom muttering incantation and took out her sword. Without looking back, she ran to the west, where the Gate was located.

Ten minutes.

They had ten minutes.

Hopefully, Yukio would be back by then and Shura will close Gehenna's Gate.

As if anything was that easy.

Well, it never was. Rin strode gallantly into the clearing they've seen, and stopped his mouth hanging open at the sight before him. Oh how astonished he was to learn that there was a lake. Even more surprising to him was a view of his younger brother in these sizzling blue flames, standing effortlessly on a middle of it, back facing him. If not for the ugly situation he found Yukio and himself in, Rin would say the view was beautiful.

Thunder shook the ground around them, rain kept on soaking every participant of this unusual occurrence. The place looked calm, eerie even. With a look around however the illusion of peace and beauty was easily dispersed leaving the traces of the fight clear in the rain. Few people were scattered around, knocked out cold but alive nonetheless. Maybe it was for the better they were unconscious.

"Oy, four-eyes!" Rin shouted into the sky, as loud as he could. He needed Yukio to come to him, not the other way around. "Yo, spotty-spot! I'm calling you!"

At that Yukio's posture changed, his shoulders tensed. Then he slowly turned around to stare at intruder.

"Rin..." he murmured, in trance.

Rin smirked. "I've come to kick your spotty ass, four-eyes!"

Yukio's eyes squinted. "You won't."

"Huh?"

"Because I won't let you."

The blue flames flared around, giving off a shine to the lake. Rin frowned, with his fang outside his mouth. He wasn't sure what but something was off about Yukio. There wasn't any trace of Satan's insanity but otherwise there wasn't any trace of his younger brother either.

It seemed as if complete stranger stood before him, staring with blue-red eyes...

"Tch" he snarled, narrowing his eyes at the demon. "Ya know I'm getting all fired up when you don't listen to me, four-eyes."

Yukio -or demon-to-be- cocked his head sadly. "Don't, nii-san. He's waiting for the right moment."

At that Rin's eyes went wide, scared. The situation was way too close to the one from months ago. "He's..?" he repeated, his hand on Kurikara's handle but unmoving.

Yukio nodded his head, finally turning side-ways towards his brother. He was smiling but the smile was forlorn and broken. "It's all my fault, nii-san. I should have known there's going to be Gehenna's Gate nearby but I didn't check."

Rin's face twisted in pain and sorrow for his brother. The younger one was still blaming himself for what happened, he was still fighting it alone. And he -Rin, being the big brother- asked him not to bear it all alone. But Yukio didn't listen, he never did.

Not able to hold it in any more, Rin snarled with tears spilling silently in-between raindrops, down his face. "Y-Yukio! You stupid, stupid idiot! I told you to come to me every now and then, why you didn't! I asked you to!"

Yukio however seemed completely unfazed by his outburst, he just stood with face blank in blue flames. "I'm... kinda holding him off, you know." There was a silent crack in his mind, and his hand reached to his temple. "Gack!"

Rin at that finally pulled Kurikara from sheathe and familiar flames sprang to life from within him. His partly demonic ears, fangs, tail and claws, now took appearance of those worn by fully pledged demon. Two blue flamed horns resided on his black hair.

Only then however Rin realised that his brother also changed, even more than the first -and only time- he's seen him in demonic form. Yukio just as him had two horns flaming on his head, his ears seemed even pointier than his own, he's even got a very similar lengthy appendage that was shining blue at the end while moving rhythmically to the sound of his heartbeat.

Yukio's eye twitched and he snarled loudly, now both hands digging into his short dark locks. At that Rin did what would every brother do and darted towards him, not thinking much of it. He was in the middle of the running on the lake when Yukio threw his one, open palm ahead of himself to stop him.

"Stop! Don't come any closer, nii-san! He wants you to come... Don't, please... Don't!"

Yukio's words stopped him instantly. With Kurikara in hand, his tail twitching angrily, Rin stood still. Only his blue eyes were taking in the picture before him, and he inhaled slowly.

"Yukio?" he asked, teeth almost snapping together. "Yukio, fight him! Push him out, you can do it! You fricken' DID IT BEFORE!"

There was a chuckle coming from Yukio. "I'm trying, it's not as easy... Maybe if, you close the Gate..? NYAHHHH!"

Enormous burst of the blue flame blasted Rin out his place and he actually skidded on the water, stopping only when he scratched at lake's surface with his demonic claws. Even then the burst was still coming out from Yukio, his flames swirling around in different shapes and just for a second Rin thought he saw the same shape that still haunted his dreams.

"YUKIO!" He scrambled to his hands and feet, jumping ahead towards his brother. He didn't care about world and certainly not himself. Because in his mind, heart and soul, he felt that without Yukio there wasn't Rin. If one of them were going to fall, then the other would do too. He crossed the distance between them in a record time and before he knew he was reaching with his free hand towards Yukio, soon after crashing their bodies together in a hug.

Younger male kept on screaming horribly, almost tearing at his hair and only with first touch of his sibling he snapped his eyes open, tears visible on his stricken face.

"Go away, nii-san!" he shouted into his brother's back, his eyes wide and terrified. "You're not helping!"

Rin however didn't budge but squeezed them harder. "I don't care, four-eyes. I'm not doing this for you."

At that Yukio seemed lost. His blue-red eyes then narrowed dangerously before he actually could home-in a strike. Rin stepped aside in an instant, tsked and smirked.

"Now, now, little one... You need be quicker than that."

"Nii-san!" growled Yukio, his teeth getting sharper. "Do you have a death wish?!"

He pondered for a second and then smiled. "Only if you have one, Yukio."

"Huh?"

At dumbfounded expression of his younger brother he almost laughed. He looked so confused and angry at the same time. He looked ridiculous.

"The thing is" he spoke, smirking in his big-bro mode. "Shura said something about us being two halves of a whole and I think she might be right. That's why, Yukio... No matter what, I'll always be with you."

There was another crack in young exorcist mind and his eyes got bit cloudier. When he spoke again his voice was different, mutated as if it wasn't one person speaking but many, many more. "What if he wants to die? Will you die with him?"

Stunned speechless, Rin gazed hypnotized at the swirl of the blue flames that burst around them. When it finally stopped, he saw the thing that froze the blood in his veins. The butterfly-shape on Yukio's back was almost mocking him, sizzling painfully with bright blue light.

Fresh sprout of tears gathered at his wide-opened eyes. A very ugly feeling spread through him when he couldn't take his eyes off the sight. It wasn't supposed to happen. His brother's face shouldn't take on that horrible, devilish expression that it did. Was it something he said? Why did Yukio stopped to fight? Why now? Why..? A million desperate questions filled his mind while his eyes took in the view before him. Because in that moment he knew it wasn't Yukio standing next to him but something way sinister and deadly.

As if on cue Yukio's face twisted into a wicked smile, and he looked at him with sickening pleasure. "Hello dear hellspawn of mine, I hope you enjoyed your short life..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By when Yukio's flames dissipated so did Rin's.

Weather kept on biting into her skin, sending cold shivers running down her back. It was all over just a slight kink in the whole situation she was in. Because she – Shura – never, ever imagined being a witness to the repeat from _that_ day.

The day they lost Yukio if even just for a few minutes.

Right now, when she kept on pressing forward navigating between bushes with a sharp pang of pain in each step she took, the past events rushed back to her, leaving a sour taste in her mouth. Of course, it was a plain and simple plan on her side – to get to the gate and close it, but somehow she had a really bad feeling about this.

Her sword weighted heavily in her hand.

All she took in her sight was darkness illuminated in bluish hue, shining above tall trees. Her breaths were shallow and burned her chest with each intake of air, her left thigh also was slowing her down becoming more and more of a nuisance. However she wasn't going to back off, she wasn't going to give up.

Just not yet.

Finally after too long, she spotted first coal tars floating around thickness of trees. It was a good sign that she was getting closer. Without stopping she practically kept on dissolving the little black specks with her sword, pressing even faster and harder ahead.

Above her a thunder struck, loud rumble followed.

Only then Shura skittered to a abrupt stop as she haven't noticed that tiny coal tars swirled before her in a kind of a mock-barrier. Breathing heavily, she smirked and changed a grip on her sword.

The rain chilled her heated skin.

"Let's the fun begin!"

With a heavy stomp, she jumped from her right leg ahead, slashing with her sword towards the black mass. As she figured however each hit parted the barrier but only for a speck of time before more coal tars filled the hollowed space.

Seeing as she was alone, without backup, her situation wasn't good. Gritting her teeth together, she snarled loudly, once again rushing forward. She needed to get to the other side of them, and seeing for a flash sight of her wrist watch she knew she didn't have time for looking blindly for an entrance - if there was any. But as it happened there wasn't any visible doors to get through.

If there was the one thing that she heard in her ears then it was a dull sound of her heartbeat, and each tick of the seconds passing away.

Tick-tock went the clock.

Shura kept on trying different techniques but none were effective enough to let her slip by, as there were too many coal tars floating around. On the side note she noticed that she wasn't attacked by any demon just yet. With a breathless inhale, she eyed warily the barrier. It looked as if it was saving time for something – no not something, _someone_.

It was probably the second time in her life, to feel so defeated. The chances for her to get through were almost none, she was hurting all over her body and her emotions were starting to get better of her. Such unlike her. But right now, standing and glaring at that black mass, all she felt she could do was feel angry and tired at the same time.

Seven minutes passed.

"Tch..."

The burning in her chest weighted her down, as she slid slowly lower. Her right knee slapped with a slosh on the ground, her right hand holding tightly handle of sword etched into land. It was hopeless, wishful thinking that she will manage in time. Her will crumbled right there and then as she leaned her forehead on the sword and let tears slid down her face.

Oh how angry she felt with herself, with the world, with everything. The fire in her burned brightly, scorching her and making even more agitated. After everything they went through, all the pain and fear, confusion... they were supposed to just end up like _this_ once again? No, it wasn't fair. But on the other hand life never was fair.

Clutching the handle of her sword, Shura whimpered, her lips slightly parted. She gazed through her tear-glazed eyes at the barrier. Coal tars swirled in between themselves happily, completely unaware of her broken spirit. Just to think it wouldn't make much to posses her... but they didn't. They kept on ignoring her and that in itself was a scary thing.

There was only one more thing she actually could do though. It was a suicide to even think about it, but she was running low on ideas and that one was a last resort attempt. If that wouldn't work she would die either way – better this way than by Yukio's hand, she really didn't want to see to that.

Breathing shakily, she stood up – and her body screamed at her stinging, burning, throbbing with each and every pore of it – ready to do her last mission, ready to close the gate. Getting into stance, she spoke a verse – almost sang it quietly, desperately – and when finished, slashed with her sword letting her familiars slither wildly ahead, leaping after them a second later.

It all lasted a few long seconds but afterwards there was darkness.

Coal tars upon seeing her familiars turned in attack stance, just as she believed they would. She then continued to slash with her sword. One by one, hitting as closely as she could to the growing cut. Cut that was getting closed just as soon as the first slash hit the spot. All the time she had was mere seconds but she needed to press on and so she did.

Her body hit the barrier with a slam, halfway through but got stuck with coal tars repairing the damage done already. Breathing was gradually becoming more and more of a challenge, as she was easily overpowered by enormous amount of little buggers. Nevertheless with her sword tardily emerging from the barrier she actually believed that she'll manage get through. That is until her brain started to get fuzzy from the lack of air.

Frantically a bit, running short on breath, she yanked her sword from barrier and slashed as closely to herself as she could. It was enough to let her through and she stumbled from the sheer power of physics, landing on her knees and hands – sword slipping from her grip.

Coughing and cackling, Shura was half relieved that she managed to get over however her resolve was crumbled when a tall shadow towered above her. In a blink of an eye she looked upwards and saw a two-headed, four armed ghoul. It's first head opened wide, spitting acid but thankfully Shura darted out of the way in time. With no time to lose, she pin pointed the place where her sword was located and ran for it.

From the corner of her eye she also spotted the fricken' gate, wide and open – it's eye kept on looking at her, following her each step. It was one hella creepy feeling to be observed like a carrot on a stick.

Getting back on track, Shura was almost reaching for her weapon when something really large knocked her off her feet and send her flying towards near tree. She hit it with a sickening crumble as if something was just crushed and slid down like a rag doll. Unconscious as she was she never saw the coming figure, nor the other one sitting on the opposite tree branch watching.

After initial shock wore off and Shura actually came back to the world of living, her head throbbed painfully and her vision was blurry but enough to see the thing that loomed over her silhouette. It reached towards her and grabbed, lifting off the ground. Shura became aware of many things at once then, firstly her head pain was getting worse in an alarming rate, secondly she couldn't breath, thirdly she couldn't use her right hand as it fucking burned and ached at the same time meaning it was probably broken and then lastly the rain was becoming softer, the storm was calming.

Just as she closed her eyes, somehow accepting fate - her world spun on axis, as she was send flying down to the ground. Barely able to do much, she managed to fall onto her knees. Half wondering what happened she lifted her face but saw just a mere figure of a ghoul flailing around, trying to get up.

"Ne, you humans are such fragile things. No wonder brother send me after you, he knew you're going to die, one way or another."

The sound... The voice, it seemed familiar but from where? Shura stood shakily onto her legs and looked around but found no one to be there. Not thinking much of it, she slowly made her way to the sword, this time actually reaching it and securing in her left hand.

Without a word then she continued her pace towards the gate, as it bubbled and burped mockingly. It was small gate, a size of a doors probably but it managed to do so much more damage that it earned to be destroyed.

"Yare-yare Shura-sensei you're no fun at all."

That voice again.

"Should I play with you some then?"

With a swish of hot air, Shura's vision darkened only to clear a few seconds later to the view of few lesser demons, all ready to attack at any moment. She gripped her sword some more, but knew well enough that she couldn't fight with her left hand.

"Let me through!" she finally screamed, she really was pissed off by now. And time was still ticking out if she didn't run out of it already. "Just let me through..."

There was a loud sigh in the area and lesser demons evaporated in a blink.

"I was watching you, you seem to be kinda fun to be around. Funny that I didn't realise it before..."

At that Shura once again started towards the gate - now unguarded - and she believed it was the longest walk ever. Not only her eyes kept on closing themselves, her body was trembling in agony every now and then, but the person or whoever helped her wasn't making her feel any better, watching her just like that fucking gate that kept on blinking at her.

Finally standing before the gate to hell, she shivered and lifted her sword. One pierce through the eye was everything she needed and all would be fine. Of course she had her hopes in Rin that he managed to bring old Yukio back because if not... Well it wasn't the time to think about that. They didn't need Satan roaming the streets nor any Gehenna gate's open.

With final thought in her mind she pierced the eye but at the same time the ghoul from before once again towered over her. In a split second, two things happened at once. Gate screeched in agony, melting into nothingness and Shura turned around to find ghoul sit upon by a very familiar person.

 _Demon_.

The funky clothing, green hair and slanted eyes were those of none other than Amaimon himself. He sat lazily, checking his long, black fingernails as if bored shitless. When he realized that sword was pointed straight at his face, he finally sighed and blinked, finally resting head on his palm.

"Bravo, Shura-sensei" he said in a bored tone. "I believe a fact that you're still alive will make my brother delighted."

"You..." Shura asked in response. She wasn't going to be given shit at this time. "Didn't Rin kill you?"

Amaimon clucked his long tongue. "No."

"Well..." Shura smirked albeit tiredly. "Then, I guess I'll have the first dibs."

Without thinking she slashed with her left hand but hit went wayward - completely missing it's target. Amaimon cocked his head to the side, thinking something.

"Y'know what, Shura-sensei?" he spoke, smiling wildly and then got up. He stretched around some then turned towards her biting on his nail. "We'll have our fun one day."

With those parting words, Amaimon jumped skywards, disappearing from the sight. Shura pondered for a second what happened and then laughed mirthlessly to herself. How stupid she was to actually wanting to fight with one of demon king's in this state? Well, all in all everything ended without additional body count. Sighing, she looked into the sky and enjoyed the drizzle on her face. Yet the blue lights that illuminated horizon seemed somehow brighter now and her guts twisted in worry.

Without looking back she darted - as fast as she could - to Rin and Yukio, hoping that both Okumura's are alive and well.

Wishful thinking.

After stretching minutes of her wobbling to the lake, she finally got there and was grounded on the spot. The bright blue light swirled around Yukio in a butterfly wing shape, Rin on the other hand was dangling from his outstretched hand that was pierced through older twin.

It took all in her might not to scream at the view.

Yukio...

No, it wasn't even him any more.

They lost it seemed, the gate was closed already and Yukio was gone, replaced by Satan.

In a last resort attempt, she slashed her sword through air, sending wave after wave towards twins. Neither of them even acknowledged her being there. Only after her adrenaline rush went away, Shura sat down on the ground, lake water soaking her legs and thighs but she didn't care. She openly stared at the blue flames, dancing wildly around twins.

Blue flames.

Rin's were becoming less and less prominent as his soul was leaving his body.

Then something happened, Shura saw Rin lift his head, speak and smile. She saw Yukio's inner battle clear in his rigid stance. So it meant there was still a chance? Even if it was a hopeless thinking, she wanted to believe in it. She did what she promised she'll never do again. She prayed for Rin, for Yukio. All those months spend with boys crumbled her outer tough girl façade if they knew it or not. She _learned_ to like them, to care for them and she would die first if she could. Because somehow they became her closest friends.

Time was running short on them now, Rin's flames were almost extinguished to the point of no return. And then, there was a scream, a loud loud scream coming from Yukio as his flames boomed around, some licking and scorching her skin.

And just like a supernova, once the explosion illuminated the sky, it sucked all of it back to drown everything in complete darkness.

By when Yukio's flames dissipated so did Rin's.

The silence that filled the place was unnerving and cold.

Then again before Shura realised what's going on, twins fell into lake's water, going down. She acted at once trying to step into the waters but stopped waist-in deep. It was pointless to try to get them, even if she was in perfect state she'd have problems with getting them both out, not to mention how she felt.

And she felt devastated.

Because in the end it looked that she was the last one standing.

Yet again.

Tardy waves were reaching the shore until they stopped completely. Tiny drizzle kept on falling, delicately illuminating everything in a glaze shine. Shura, she stood still, her limbs getting colder and numb. Only when the last wave reached her waist she slowly turned around and went towards shore. Somehow Yukio's words drifted back to her just now, after everything was done.

_The key skidded on the ground._

_"Take it, it's... It's..." Yukio was fighting inside his own mind. He looked so lost and helpless then. There were wrinkles around his eyes and forehead. Always, always he kept Rin above everything else, especially himself. "Our room. G-get him out and run... R-run! A-as far a-away..."_

_Then he snapped and rushed towards her, he almost killed her. But she didn't want to leave him alone, she was scared – no, she was terrified – and didn't know what to do. There was always a minuscule chance of Yukio becoming Statan's vessel again but to that they would need huge amount of demon blood... Well, it seemed they still needed to learn._

" _Take him a-away from m-me! As f-far away as you... can."_

" _What about you?"_

" _Meph-phisto..."_

_And then she ran through the woods, she ran stupidly straight into Rin's room._

Now, in the light of the events... it was the worst decision she ever made. It was on her coincidence that both Rin and Yukio were gone. And the latter one asked her to save Rin, to take him away and don't look back... then why she didn't?

Stepping ahead, Shura clenched her fist. Just as she blinked away oncoming tears a loud thump went behind her. Of course she turned at whim and stared, once again that night.

"Ne, Kirigakure-san, I believe you're looking for them" said Mephisto smiling brightly, his top hat sitting highly on his head. "Also don't beat yourself too bad about this situation, you couldn't do much."

"Mephisto?!" she shrieked, battered and tired. She had enough of this roller-coaster of emotions for one night. "How? When? Wha-"

Mephisto smiled, poking with his umbrella unconscious twins that were sprawled on the ground in a heap, both breathing loudly. "To say at least I didn't expect anything like this would be a lie. I never realised that young Okumura-sensei by surpassing his demonic side may have such strong side effect."

"So you're saying that all of this is because Yukio won't embrace his demonic side yet?"

Mehpisto nodded his head, smile not even thinking about leaving his face. "Exactly. Also I think it's time for Okumura-sensei to finally stop believing in what he's not, unlike Rin his powers cannot be turned off by sheathing sword... By the way where is Rin's kurikara?"

Shura shrugged agitated. "How I am supposed to know? I just barely managed to close a fucking gate to find half-dead Rin and Satan in Yukio's body... How the fuck you think I might happen to know where his sword is?!"

"Yare-yare, Kirigakure-san, you have a temper. I like it." At that Shura almost burst out raving. "But I understand that situation with gate. Nobody suspected that someone might want to open it in the first place which gets me to the point of those two..." He nudged with his umbrella Rin, who mumbled something in deep slumber. "After today I believe Okumura-sensei will be forced to have a meeting in Vatican for first, for second I think both boys earned some off-time... As well as need a good old fashioned training of their skills. Especially Yukio, seeing that he constantly is in denial as if this wasn't proof enough of his origins." At that he lifted a dark-brown, long tail with a small tuft of hair at the end.

Somewhere from the woods came loud footsteps, conversations. Someone was coming closer.

"What do you plan to do then? Mephisto?"

"Well..." he smiled devilishly and lifted his umbrella. "For now I'll take those two back to their hospital wing, as for you... Enforcements are coming" he winked then and pointed his umbrella over boys. "Eins, zwei, drei..."

Pufft and with a pink cloud he disappeared with twins leaving confused and battered Shura alone. She sighed tiredly. Well, for a simple standard mission it was one hell of a night. With a crooked smile nonetheless, she welcomed incoming backup.

"What took you so long?! I'm getting old in here you know!"


End file.
